Amusement apparatus



June 27, 1961 J. c. KOCI AMUSEMENT APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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Filed Feb, 17, 1959 June 27, 1961 J. c. KOCl 2,990,180

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N w. a f %A w. r m \n on m \mw 5 mm d 5% QT v m m J. mv w. WM q A Ji 2w 2 United States Patent 2,990,180 AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Jerry C. Koci, Barrington, Ill., assignorto Chicago Dynamic Industries, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 793,795 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-126) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in an amusement apparatus and more particularly to a shufifleboard type of amusement game wherein a puck or game piece is propelled over a playing board. Another object of my invention is in the provision in a device of this character of an arrangement of parts wherein the device is confined in a small compact apparatus and which affords the benefits, skill and excitement of an elongated playing board.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in an apparatus of this character which includes an automatic play counter which is activated by a puck or game piece propelled over the playing board.

Yet another object of my invention is in the provision in an apparatus of this character of a manually operated score indicator.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my amusement apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of the playing board;

3 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the reverse side of the one end of the playing board shown in Fig. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

My improved amusement apparatus relates to a game of skill which embodies a game piece in the form of a slidable puck. The puck is adapted to be propelled over the playing board against the desired resilient member and caused to be rebounded into a score area. The arrangement of parts affords the player all the advantages of an elongated shuffleboard type playing board while at the same time being confined in a compact area.

My improved amusement device consists of a game cabinet having a hollow base 11 and an enlarged medial body portion 12. A raised playing board 13 is carried atop the medial body portion 12. Side panels 14 and 15 cooperate with end panels 16 and 17 to openly embrace the playing board 13 and provide a game piece rebounding surface hereinafter more fully described. As my amusement device may be coin operated, I provide a coin slide 18 carried at the front end of the medial body portion 12 as seen in FIG. 1.

The playing board 13 has the end thereof adjacent the front of the apparatus divided into two equally sized scoring sections 19 and 20. A divider board 21 extends from the end panel 17 half way through the length of the playing board 13 as seen in FIG. 1. The front end of the playing board 13 is provided with two depressed game piece receiving pockets 22 and 23.

A vertically extending lamp post 24 is carried at the free end 25 of the divider board 21. A suitable lamp 26 is supported by said post 24. An appropriate lamp shade 27 is also provided so as to effectively illuminate playing board 13.

The rear end of the playing board 13 is provided with a raised portion 28. This portion 28 provides two oppositely disposed angled rebound surfaces 29 and 30 with a straight medial surface 31 therebetween and extending parallel to and in spaced relation with respect to the rear end panel 16. Each of these surfaces 29, 30 and 31 have on their inner vertical faces a resilient member 32, oif which a puck or game piece is adapted to rebound.

Immediately in front of each of the surfaces 29, 30, and 31 there is formed in the playing board '13 a plurality of U-shaped slots. Certain of these slots 33 have their bight portion extending in a spaced parallel direction with respect to the rebound surface 29. Certain of the other slots 33 have their bight portion extending in a spaced parallel direction with respect to the rebound surface 30 and the remaining slots 34 have their bight portion extending in spaced parallel direction with respect to the rebound surface 31.

Carried by the under surface of the playing board 13 are a plurality of U-shaped brackets 35. As there is a bracket for each of the slots formed in the playing board 13, and as each bracket is identical in structure, I will describe but one. The bracket 35 has its bight portion connected in facial abutment to the under side of the playing board 13 by means of screws 36 as seen in FIG. 5. The oppositely extending arms 37 and 38 are disposed in a vertical plane. As viewed in FIG. 4, it is seen that the brackets 35 are disposed between the ends of the legs of the slots formed in the playing member 13. As the brackets 35 are so disposed with respect to the slots in the playing board 13, it is readily seen that the arms 37 and 38 thereof are not only vertically displaced but are in vertical alignment with a portion of such slots as seen in FIG. 5.

Pivotally mounted to the arms 37 and 38 by means of rivets 39 and 40, are the free ends of the legs 41 and 42 of a U-shaped switch actuator 43. Carried by the bight portion of the bracket 35 is a switch block 44. This switch block 44 consists of two laterally spaced apart switch leaves 45 and '46, the former switch leaf being of a length sufiicient to extend beyond the arm 37 of the bracket 35 and the leg 41 of the switch actuator 43 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The spring tension of the switch leaf 45 is such that it will normally hold the switch actuator 43 in the position shown in FIG. 5. The arm 37 has struck therefrom a retaining lug 47. It is readily apparent that the switch leaf 45 will maintain the leg 41 of the switch actuator 43 against the lug 47 in a vertical position.

In the playing of the game it is desired that the play commence in either one of the sections 19 or 20 For the purpose of explanation let us say that the playing of the game will begin in section 19. The puck or game piece 10' is caused to be propelled from the front end of the playing board 13 in the direction of the rebounding surfaces 29, 30 and 31. In so doing the puck in its travel, will engage certain of the switch actuators 43 and cause the same to be pivoted against the spring tension of the switch leaf 45 moving the same into contact with the switch leaf 46. The movement of the switch actuator 43 is through the slots formed in the playing board 13. It is desired that such rebounding puck be directed toward and into the opposite or remaining section 20 and that its movement will come to rest within one of the designated scoring areas.

It is readily apparent that if the puck rebounds with too great a force it will pass over the scoring area and fall off the playing board 13 and into the depressed pocket 23. If the latter takes place, no score is obtained.

The switch 44 may be connected to a suitable circuit (not shown) so that after a predetermined number of pucks have caused actuation of any of the switches con- 3 tained beneath the playing board 13, a frame light will be energized. These frame lights may be contained in the divider board 21 beneath a transparent plate 48. The game continues to be played much in the manner of regulation shuffieboard until a predetermined number of frames have been played.

To facilitate keeping the score, I have provided on each of the side panels 14 and 15 a manually operated score indicator 49. This score indicator 49 consists of a block 50 slidable upon a track member 51 attached in any suitable manner to the side panels 14 and 15 as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. A stud 52 extends through the block 50 and through an opening 3 formed in the track 51. This stud 52 passes through a washer 54 which lies beneath the slot 53 and is of a size greater than such slot as seen in FIG. 2. The stud 52 passes through a second washer 55 and has its end 56 swedged so as to retain said washers thereon. Between the washers 54 and 55 and coiled about the stud 52 is an expansion spring 5 7. This spring will normally urge the washer 54 into engagement with the under side of the track 51 adjacent the slot 53. By such an arrangement, it is seen that the block 50 may be slid longitudinally of the track '51 through the slot 53. As the game may be played by one or more persons, I have provided two such manual score indicators, one on each of theside panels 1 4 and 15. Each of these score indicators has one block which is used to indicate the score count of 1 through 9 and a second block 58 which is of the same construction as the block 50 for indicating scores of 10, 20, 30, 40 andSO.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, I show puck obstructing pins 59 embedded in the playing board 13 immediately in front of the actuators 43. These pins 59 are constructed and operate in accordance with my United States Patent No. 2,565,238. Such pins prevent unauthorized playing of the device and may be coin controlled.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this iscapable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

An amusement apparatus comprising a table having a horizontally disposed playing board over which a game piece is adapted to be propelled, means dividing one-half of one end of said playing board into juxtapositioned longitudinally graduated scoring areas, a game piece adapted to be propelled from one of said scoring areas in one direction over said playing board, an angled rebounding surface provided by said table at the opposite end of said playing board beyond said dividing means and against which the game pieces are adapted to strike when propelled in said one direction for rebounding over said table in a direction opposite to its propelled direction and into the other of said scoring areas, switch actuators in said playing board adjacent one end' thereof with certain of said actuators extending in parallel direction with said angled rebounding surface and spaced therefrom a distance less than the width of said game pieces and engageable by said game pieces propelled thereover for effecting registration of the number of said game pieces propelled against said angled rebounding surface, means for pivotally connecting said switch actuators to said playing board for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis to a position beneath the surface of said playing board during the striking and rebounding of said game pieces against and off said angled rebounding surface, and switches carried beneath said playing board and closed by said switch actuators when pivoted by said game pieces for efiecting registration of the number of game pieces propelled into striking engagement with said angled rebounding surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,188 Seede Sept. 7, 1926 2,112,255 Swenson Mar. 29, 1938 2,237,746 Perks Apr. 8, 1941 2,565,238 Koci Aug. 21, 1951 

